Jimmys vs Sprinkles

So, this topic has been a huge point of contention for me. Growing up I lovingly referred to the topping I add to my ice cream as "Jimmys." I would get a cone with "chocolate jimmys" *Please note* unless I am getting a sundae, still, I always get jimmys.

"Jimmys" is a New England term. Most other states, especially Southern states, call the topping "Sprinkles."

Sadly, when I was in graduate school and took a class called Race, Class and Gender, I was informed that Jimmy was a racial term. Apparently, it referred to Jim Crow's law, a law meant to secure segregation in residential areas. Rumors circulated everywhere, that Jimmy was not a term to be used.

Honestly, this confused me to no end. I have always referred to my favorite topping as Jimmys, but was my ignorance perpetuating racism? I don't know the answer to that, even still.

I have read up on this, simply because I want to call them Jimmys; for 26 years I knew them as Jimmys!!! My research has led me to the following; not sure what is true and what is false:

1. Most people consider, based on rumor, jimmy to be a racial term.

2. The word, Jimmy, came from the manufacturer who would donate $ to the Jimmy Fund every time someone purchased sprinkles on their ice cream (although the Jimmy Fund was established years after sprinkles were invented, so this is not factual.)

3. The man who ran the "sprinkle" machine in the factory was named Jimmy.

I have read a ton of articles on this topic, and I can not find a straight answer. There are too many conflicting reports with no concrete evidence. The true origin of the word is, probably, just a strange New England semantic. Unfortunately, without proof, most people are believing a sinister origin. So I have come to the conclusion I am going to call them sprinkles. I feel sad that I am not being true to the roots of my culture, where I was taught to call them Jimmys. But, I am also not willing to risk offending anyone of color or perpetuate racism.

So I guess it will be a small soft serve with chocolate sprinkles for me, please.